How to Maintain Your Furnace This Winter

As Wisconsin winters go, this one hasn’t been the worst you’ve experienced, but you’re still more than happy to stay inside your Kenosha home, where you know it will be warm, comfortable, and safe.

At least, that was the case until a few days ago when you left the comfort of your cozy room and went to the kitchen for your morning cup of coffee. You went from toasty to frosty in seconds.

Since then, it’s anybody’s guess which areas of the house will be warm and which will feel more like the North Pole. Your furnace isn’t entirely broken, but something is definitely wrong. What can you do to fix your furnace before it leaves you completely high and dry this winter?

Maintenance Tips to Keep Your Furnace Running

Check & Replace Your Air Filter

Your air filters are responsible for stopping dust, dirt, dander, allergens, and other unwanted particulates from circulating through your furnace and ducts into the air you breathe. Clogged and dirty filters lead to inconsistent heating, added strain on your furnace, higher heating bills, and lower air quality.

Here at Capital, we’re fans of MERV 8 air filters and generally recommend you change your filter every 3 months. However, the type of air filter you need and how often it should be changed depends on the number of people and pets in your home, as well as any allergies you may have.

Check & Replace Your Humidifier Pad

If you have a whole-home humidifier, your unreliable heating could be caused by a worn-out humidifier pad, also known as a water panel or humidifier wick filter. Air blows across the water in this humidifier pad to distribute moisture through your ductwork, keeping your air at the perfect humidity.

As the water panel gets older, it gets gunked up and loses efficiency (which impacts the efficiency of your entire system) and is more susceptible to growing mold and leaking. If your pad gets plugged up, it can cause a serious water catastrophe. Most manufacturers recommend changing the pad once a year, though you may need to change yours sooner depending on use and water quality in your home.

Change Your Thermostat Batteries

Did you know that most digital thermostats are actually powered by batteries and not your home’s electricity? Even though thermostat batteries seem insignificant, your whole HVAC system won’t work without them!

If the batteries in your thermostat are running low, it can provide incorrect temperature readings, which can lead to inconsistent heating or an inability to adjust heat settings. Fortunately, many thermostats have display symbols or a dimmer display setting to indicate when the batteries are ready to be swapped.

Clean Around Your Exhaust and Intake Vents

During the winter, it’s easy for snow and ice to build up around the outside of your home. When that snow blocks the exhaust and intake vents for your furnace, it makes it difficult for your furnace to breathe.

We know that shoveling the driveway and sidewalk is already an undertaking, but your family will thank you with an extra cup of cocoa when you add clearing the vents to your shoveling routine. And the house will be nice and warm for you when you’re done! If there is an accumulation of dirt, dust, or other debris, your vents may need a professional cleaning to get them into good working order.

Schedule a Furnace Beyondification

Sometimes, when your furnace starts acting funny, it can be tricky for you to diagnose the situation, as one symptom can mean five different things. And, proper furnace maintenance always makes things run better. If you’ve tried what you know to maintain your furnace and it’s still not keeping you warm, it’s time to schedule your furnace Beyondification.

Our knowledgeable technicians will arrive at your home prepared to recalibrate your furnace to like-new condition. They’ll also perform a comprehensive safety check with our 54-point Beyondification Checklist and let you know if your furnace requires any additional repairs to keep you warm until spring. (And if you really want to stay proactively protected with two annual Beyondifications, check out Merle’s League of Home Defenders!)

Capital Can Keep You Warm

Whether you need furnace repair, replacement, or installation, Capital has you covered. From routine inspections to emergency services in the middle of the night, we’re here to take your call and take care of your home.